Sports

Argos' James Wilder Jr. has arrived as a CFL star

Toronto Argonauts running back James Wilder Jr. runs the ball and breaks a tackle against Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox as linebacker Sam Hurl looks on during second half CFL football action in Toronto on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

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More explosive, more powerful, more dominant, there is nothing James Wilder Jr., has done that should now surprise anyone.

And he’s just getting started.

Long term, he’s destined to get an audition down south, but for now and for next season the Argos have a multi-purpose running back to build an offence around, a durable player who secures the football and protects the pocket.

If there were any doubt about Wilder and his value to the team, it was eliminated Saturday afternoon at BMO Field when he produced 197 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns to upstage Winnipeg’s Andrew Harris in Toronto’s wild 29-28 win.

With one full season under his belt and as the Argos expand his role, Wilder will have the potential next season to become the first back in CFL history to post a 1,000/1,000 rushing/receiving yards season.

Harris was eyeing that feat this season, but needs 180 receiving yards and 93 rushing over his final two games.

Wilder is a different beast, the kind that comes along once in a blue moon.

In an 18-game schedule, running backs, even in a pass-happy league, should always flirt with a 1,000-yard season if a team is committed to the run game.

Check-downs and screens are valuable to take pressure off the offensive line and quarterback, putting a running back in a position to be used as a receiving option.

Wilder doesn’t have flat-out speed to attack the perimeter. But, at 6-foot-2 and 232 pounds, he’s a downhill, between-the-tackles runner who is tough to bring down when he gets into the second level of a defence.

When he’s receiving the football in stride on checkdowns, he is always capable of generating a big gain.

And, as he showed in running down Bombers defensive end Tristan Okpalaugo, to tackle him at the Toronto goalline, there’s no quit in Wilder.

He’s now the hands-down favourite to win the league’s top rookie award, a lock to be named an Eastern all-star and a strong candidate for all-CFL recognition, assuming the media voters put away their homer hats and do what’s right.

“We saw all parts of James,’’ said head coach Marc Trestman of Wilder’s performance following Toronto’s eighth win of the season. “He continues to grow. Protection- wise, we’re extremely confident in his ability there. And he’s done a really good job, knock on wood, of protecting the football because he’s taken some tremendous hits.

“Guys are falling off him, he’s finishing with his feet, he’s dropping his shoulder, that’s exciting.”

The play Wilder made to chase down Okpalaugo on the interception return wasn’t lost on Trestman, either.

“He’s leading the way through his demeanour and through his play,’’ praised the head coach.

Wilder also lines up on special teams.

When the season began, Wilder was backing up veteran Brandon Whitaker.

He played sporadically for the first 11 games, never gaining more than 40 yards rushing or receiving in any of them. But on Sept. 16 against the Eskimos, Wilder broke out with 190 yards rushing (on just 11 carries) and added 67 more yards on seven receptions.

At BMO, where the Argos will play host to their first playoff game at the venue either in the East semifinal crossover or the Nov. 19 divisional final, Wilder has been a machine.

In the past four games played at BMO, he has rushed for 515 yards and four touchdowns.

As a receiver during that span, Wilder has caught 27 passes for 318 yards.

His work ethic and professionalism were never in doubt and he hasn’t allowed the attention to get to his head.

JUST WIN, RAY SAYS OF B.C. FINALE

History has taught Rick Ray to pay no attention to what he can’t control, avoid the trap of playing the what-if game, even with first place on the line and a bye into the divisional final.

With the Argos now on a bye week, the Redblacks will be coming off a bye and will play host to Hamilton this Friday in its final game.

The Argos are one point up on Ottawa for first with the tiebreaker. A tie against Hamilton or a loss will give the Argos first.

An Ottawa win means the Argos must defeat the host Lions in the CFL’s season finale on Nov. 4 to earn the top spot.

“Right now, the mindset is to go into B.C. and win a game,’’ said Ray, after the Argos defeated the Blue Bombers 29-28 at BMO Field on Saturday. “If things don’t go Ottawa’s way, that’s gravy. I’m going to try to not even watch the game.

“I’ve been in this situation before and you try not to think about all the stuff,’’ said Ray, who led an Argos offence that produced 572 yards while controlling the clock for close to 38 minutes as he joined Doug Flutie and Anthony Calvillo to pass for 60,000 career yards. “We just need to win.”

A win in B.C. will give the Argos a 9-9 season, the same number the club produced in 2012 when Toronto won the Grey Cup as the second-place team in the East.